ALAMID

alamid"raccoon"

The animal called alamid in the Philippines is actually a civet with the scientific name Paradoxurus hermaphroditus. It is known in English as the Asian Palm Civet or the Philippine Civet Cat (though it's not a cat).

It is a nocturnal animal that is called musang in southern Luzon and balos in Davao del Sur and South Cotabato. The alamid uses its nose to find ripe, sweet coffee beans.

Coffee beans harvested from the feces of the civet called motit in the northern part of the Philippines are considered top grade. After cleaning, the coffee beans are sold for as much as a thousand American dollars per pound.